Tata Nexon compact SUV: Here's what to expect

Tata Nexon, the compact SUV, was first showcased at the Auto Expo 2016 and the auto world has been waiting for it since then. The wait for Nexon will end this year as reports suggest that the launch of the compact SUV could happen in the second half of 2017.

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The year 2017 is also likely to see the launch of compact sedan Kite 5 and the AMT avatar of the Tiago hatchback. Tata Nexon will be pitted against Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport and Mahindra TUV300 in India.

Tata Nexon has been testing on Indian roads since its appearance at the auto show and the compact SUV was caught on camera countless times. Built on the heavily-modified Tata X1 platform of Indica, Nexon will be the third model of Tata to embody the new Impact design language after Tiago and Hexa.

From a visual stand point, Nexon will feature chrome Humanity Line on the upper grille, projector headlamps with daytime running lamps (DRLs), LED tail lamps with chrome accents and floating roof. The SUV will ride on 16-inch alloy wheels and is expected to host slew of goodies such as 5-inch Harman touchscreen infotainment system with eight speakers, voice control and command recognition, and a multi-functional steering wheel.

Under the hood, Nexon is likely to get a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel engine. While a 5-speed manual gearbox is expected to take care of the transmission in Nexon, Tata could also bring automated manual transmission (AMT) version. Nexon is expected to get three driving modes: City, Eco and Sport.

Although Nexon was expected to come to the market during the festive season last year, the company pushed the launch to a later date as Tata is revisiting the strategy of its upcoming models including Nexon and Kite 5. Tata Nexon is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 6.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.